Learning Design and Facilitator

Over the last decade Imani has worked at the intersection of education, social care, civic and organisational leadership, impact and justice; she has played many roles such as, frontline responder, disrupter, builder and guide.

Imani Clough-Brown (She/Her)

With over a decade of experience in the youth and community sector, Iā€™ve supported organisations, practitioners, and young people to lead meaningful change from the inside out. As the founder and principal consultant of Imani Academy & Co (2016ā€“2025), Iā€™ve worked across education, social justice, and youth development to champion values-led leadership, character education, and youth participation.

My career has taken a few twists and turns, but one thread has always stayed the same: a deep commitment to creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and connected. Whether itā€™s an online workshop, a peer-peer learning journey, a community group, a panel discussion, or an away-day gathering, I can step in to hold both the logistics and facilitation ā€” adapting to what groups need.

What I bring:

  • Over a decade of experience designing and facilitating cohort-based learning ā€” from intimate peer-to-peer spaces to large-scale away days and conferences with hundreds of participants.

  • Skillful design and tech support for virtual events, with a focus on structure, access needs, and connection that make online spaces engaging and aligned with the right energy

  • A strong grounding in community building and cross-cultural collaboration, with sensitivity to nuance, relationships, and the dynamics that shape group work.

  • A whole-person approach to systems change, weaving participatory practice with embodied tools to support individuals and institutions in transition ā€” moving with greater clarity, purpose, and integrity.

I hold a BA in Youth Justice and an MA in Character Education, grounding my work in both lived experience and academic rigour. I regular engage in professional development opportunities to grow my practice; Iā€™m a trained Three Horizons Facilitator, Action Learning Facilitator and Pinpoint Facilitator.

Current roles include:

  • Alliance Member, Civic Power Fundā€™s Youth Organising Alliance

  • Grants Panel Member, Barrow Cadbury Trust (Economic Justice, Birmingham)

  • Associate Facilitator, The Kingā€™s Fund (Nexus Leadership Programme)

At the heart of all I do is a commitment to intergenerational learning, peer-to-peer wisdom, and community-led change. Thank you for being here ā€” whether you're just joining the journey, or have been walking alongside me for some time.

More about me & my past work

Highlights & Publications

Imaniā€™s work has been featured across a range of platforms and publications that reflect her commitment to equity, leadership, and youth voice.

Through her writing, speaking, and facilitation, Imani continues to share thought leadership that bridges intergenerational wisdom, social impact and organisational change.

Testimonials

I worked with Imani on the Character Education and Mentoring Practical Handbook. It was great to work with Imani and bring her unique perspective across both areas to bear on the publication. Itā€™s a great output and Imani was a pleasure to work with. It has been well-received by practitioners and should continue to be used in schools.

Aidan Thompson, PhDAidan Thompson, PhD, Social Sciences Connect Programme Manager, University of Warwick

Imani delivered a three part youth participation training with our organisation. The sessions covered youth participation from introduction to evaluation and were curated to our needs. Imani also shared multiple useful tools for delivering and facilitating sessions with young people.

Overall, the sessions focused on delivering youth participation in a truly inclusive way and I would definitely recommend Imani to any one on the youth participation journey. Thanks!

Talia DundooTalia Dundoo, Senior Youth Inclusion Officer at Youth Futures Foundation

Imani is a gifted, skilled and thoughtful Lead Facilitator, who brings great care and attention to her work with diverse groups of participants. I recently commissioned Imani to lead the co-design and co-delivery of a session for Executive-level public sector leaders, working alongside three Associate Facilitators who are also young leaders.

Imani went 'above and beyond' to craft the co-design process, the session delivery and the 'aftercare' debrief and learning with finesse and professionalism. Imani is a pleasure to work with, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her. I hope we will have the opportunity to work together again soon.

Kathryn Perera, Senior Consultant at The King's Fund | Coach, Speaker, Facilitator with Cultivating Leadership

My offerings

Learning Design and Programme Management

I design learning experiences that invite connection, reflection, and active participation. My work centers on peer-to-peer learning, creating spaces where people can explore ideas together, deepen their understanding, and showcase their learning in meaningful ways.

Whether itā€™s a leadership programme, a multi-day retreat, or a virtual cohort experience, I focus on designing purposeful structures that hold both clarity and flexibility. I bring a strong sense of flow and pacing, ensuring that every element ā€” from the opening moments to the closing reflections ā€” serves the overall purpose and feels engaging for participants.

My approach blends community building with interactive, participatory design, so your event isnā€™t just something people attend ā€” itā€™s something they experience and contribute to. I also support you with the practical side: crafting agendas, the flow of sessions, and weaving in activities that encourage collaboration and creativity.

As a programme manager, I can oversee the full lifecycle of your event or programme, from early concept design to delivery, ensuring alignment between vision, logistics, and participant experience. My goal is always to create spaces where people feel connected, valued, energised, and inspired to take their learning forward.

Facilitation and Hosting

I create and hold spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported ā€” both in-person and online.

As a Three Horizons facilitator, my approach is rooted in futures thinking, helping groups explore complexity, imagine possibilities, and navigate change with clarity and care.

My facilitation style is nervous system-aware, anti-oppressive, and inclusive, centering practices that supporting those I work with to feel grounded and connected. Whether Iā€™m moderating a panel, guiding a full-day strategy session, or hosting a multi-day learning experience, I create spaces that balance structure with spaciousness ā€” allowing for both depth and creativity.

I often weave in embodied practices through check-ins, energisers, gentle grounding, visioning, creative techniques, transitions and reflective closings.

I can lead whole-group processes through complex conversations, support teams in navigating challenges, and create brave, collaborative spaces where people can go deep on issues that matter.

My aim is to help participants move with clarity, integrity, and connection ā€” whether the goal is strategic planning, culture change, or collective learning.

EDUCATION AND COACHING QUALIFICATIONS

  • ICF ACC Accredited Coach, March 2025

  • The Somatic School Body-Oriented Coach ICF Level 2

  • MA Character Education ā€“ University of Birmingham - 2020

  • Youth Justice BA (Hons) ā€“ Nottingham Trent University - 2014

  • MOE Certified Coach - 2020

  • Trauma informed practitioner (ABC of Trauma Awareness) - 2018

  • Mental health First Aider (Dec 2021) 

  • Youth Mental Health First Aider - 2018

    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

    • Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher Training - November 2025-February 2026

    • Three Horizons Practitioner, 2025

    • The Management Center, Managing to change the world Leadership Training , 2023

Past clients and collaborators (through Imani Academy & Co and as an independent facilitator):